The present invention relates to a hand tool for dispensing plastic fasteners, and more particularly to a novel plastic fastener dispensing hand tool that can be operated in an exposed stationary needle mode and an unexposed articulating needle mode.
Plastic fasteners of the type having an elongated flexible filament having a first enlargement at one end of the flexible filament and a second enlargement at the opposite end are well-known in the art and widely used in a variety of retail and other applications. One common application for this type of plastic fastener is to attach labels, price tags or other items to articles such as garments, apparel items and other consumer goods. Another common application for this type of plastic fastener is to maintain certain articles of clothing (i.e. men's dress shirts) in a folded condition so as to minimize any wrinkling of the article and so as to present the article in an otherwise flattering manner.
Two different types of plastic fastener dispensing hand tools (often referred to as “tagging guns”) are required to accomplish each of these common applications. A tagging gun having an exposed stationary needle is required for the purpose of using the plastic fasteners to attach labels, price tags, or other items to an article. A tagging gun having an unexposed articulating needle is required for the purpose of using the plastic fasteners to maintain certain articles of clothing in a folded condition. Tagging guns having an exposed stationary needle are known, examples of such tools including those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,639,006, 5,683,025, and 5,772,073. Tagging guns having an unexposed stationary needle are also known, examples of such tools including those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,267,285, 6,837,413, and 7,331,497. Publications, patents and patent applications are referred to throughout this disclosure. All references cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference.
The exposed stationary needle tagging gun and the unexposed articulating needle tagging gun are adopted to perform only the respective single function stated above. Accordingly, in a workplace where it is necessary to attach labels, price tags, or other items to articles and also to maintain certain articles of clothing in a folded condition, both types of tagging guns must be used. This is undesirable for several reasons. First, the presence of two types of tagging guns around the workplace creates unnecessary clutter, which can result in an unorganized, disordered work environment. Next, a worker performing both the task of using the plastic fasteners to attach labels, price tags, or other items to articles and also using the plastic fasteners to maintain certain articles of clothing in a folded condition must carry around both types of tagging guns, or alternatively must continually return to a stock room to retrieve the required tagging gun, thereby reducing worker efficiency. Additionally, a worker assigned to perform both of these tasks must be trained and familiarized with the operation of both types of tagging guns, which can lead to increased employee costs. Finally, two different sets of parts must readily be available at all times to facilitate the repair of the two types of tagging guns. This means that two separate sets of parts must be ordered, shipped, received, organized and inventoried, leading to an additional increase in employee costs, further decreasing employee productivity, and further creating the potential for an unorganized, disordered work environment.
The exposed stationary needle tagging gun presents the additional problem of accidental needle breakage and inadvertently causing injury to a worker, as the pointed end of the needle is constantly exposed in this type of tagging gun. While some sort of needle protection device is often provided with the exposed stationary needle tagging gun to cover the needle when not in use, the needle protection device does nothing to protect against needle breakage, and often becomes lost once the tagging gun is introduced into the workplace.
What is needed is an improved tagging gun that is able to perform more than a single function, as well a tagging gun that can better protect against needle breakage and worker injury.